Chapter 12
Kaitlyn
The weight inside my purse settles against my hip as I sling the strap over my shoulder.
A comforting feeling, one that means the statue should still be inside.
Especially since I had held my purse in a death grip the entire way here.
With the way my luck's going, the zipper would have somehow come loose and the statue would have fallen out along the way to the office.
Warm humid air heats along my skin as the lobby's glass doors close behind me. A phone rings from the unattended reception desk. She's probably running late again.
I roll my eyes as I walk past, ignoring it as the call goes to voice mail.
Further into the office a few coworkers look my way as I walk past row after row of cubicles, their hushed whispers stopping whenever I get close. I do my best to ignore them but I can't help but feel a sense of unease. Though, it doesn't take long to realize what has everyone's interest.
The click click click of keys being pressed on a keyboard greets me as I enter the antechamber, right outside Josh's office. A sound that shouldn't be possible, except it was, since someone was sitting at my desk.
"Janine?"
Josh scowls at me, his arms crossed over his chest, as he exits his office. "Well, do you have it?"
"Of course..." I unzip my purse, walking over to my desk. My hand reaching in, wrapping around Sentinel.
He nods, refusing to come further into the room, "Good. Hand it to Janine and then grab your things."
Confused, I set the statue down. "Grab my things? What do you mean?"
Janine watches us silently, a grin spreading across her face.
Josh scoffs, rolling his eyes as he answers, "You were seen stealing company property. I have no other choice but to let you go."
"Let me go..." I don't know why I keep repeating what he says like some sort of parrot. And it's not like he's speaking a foreign language.
Of course, he can't help but continue talking, now that he has an audience, "Honestly, I wanted to have you arrested as soon as you entered the building, but Andre'ah talked me out of it." He sighed, as if not calling them had been such a great loss to his pride.
"Since this is your first offense, because of our history together, and you did return the statue to me, I'm going to forgive you," he continues, his eyes devoid of any true emotion, "We'll keep this between us.
My father doesn't need to know the details, just that you wanted to leave so you can start fresh somewhere else. "
"Somewhere else?" He's got to be kidding. "But I have nowhere to go."
Josh just shrugs his shoulders, "Not my problem. Just make sure you're moved out of the apartment by next week so it can be cleaned and ready for Janine to move in."
"How can you do this?" I whisper, my throat tight, tears threatening to fall, "You had me give up everything to be here."
"Again, not my problem. You understood the potential consequences of your actions, should things not work out between us. And Kaitlyn?" he paused, waiting for me to look at him, "This is the very definition of not working out, you know?"
A long tense moment of silence stretches between us as I found myself at a loss for words.
Eventually Josh sighs, "But don't worry.
You can keep any gifts you received while you were employed.
" He says this as if he's giving me some great gift.
It's not. "You can probably get enough money to leave town if you sell them to the pawn shop down the road. "
Sell... The gifts...
I'm pretty sure no pawn shop owner would ever purchase clothes, especially the used underwear. The majority items of his so called 'gifts.'
A sharp pain stabs through my chest, my lungs constricting to the point of pain as it becomes harder to breath with each spiraling thought.
No money. Soon no shelter. Nowhere to go...
A throat clears behind me, drawing our attention.
And yet, I still find myself unable to move.
Frozen to this very spot in mortification, where the unknown stranger has front row seats to my humiliation.
Of course there would be a client coming in at this very moment.
Because why should I be allowed to have my life fall apart in private?
And let's not forget that Janine is also here, witnessing it all. Knowing her, she has a camera set up somewhere, recording everything so she can watch every painful moment over and over for years to come.
A light shines in Janine's eyes as she smiles, "How may I be of service, Mr..."
My heart beats to the rhythm of the stranger's footsteps as he crosses the room. His voice dark, warm, carrying a rumble that vibrates down to my very soul as he speaks, "Pardon the interruption."
I know that voice...
The vice griping my lungs loosens as I inhale the familiar scents of sweet sandalwood, warm vanilla, and fresh bergamot, allowing me to take the first full breath since I entered the building. A shiver running down my spine as phantom memories resurface.
Scowling, Josh puffs up his chest, trying to make himself look larger. Trying to intimidate the stranger as he stops by my side.
Trying but failing miserably.
A predator among prey, I can't help but be pulled towards him.
Thick black hair, longer on top and short on the sides. A light dusting of a five o'clock shadow outlining the sharp cut of his jaw. Rich amber eyes drawing me closer. One word coming to mind as my hands brush against his chest, "Mate..."
"Hello, little dove."